Also, clean out the dishwasher filter (located at the bottom of the machine) at least once per month with warm, soapy water and a soft brush. This three-minute chore could not only be the difference between sparkly clean dishes and caked-on food particles, but also between a fresh- and foul-smelling machine. Before you go on vacation (or if your home has a toilet that isn’t used often, such as in a guest room), flush the toilet several times before you leave for the trip, as well as when you return....

Learning how to cook acorn squash begins with its easy prep. It’s a breeze since there is no real need to peel the squash, as the flesh separates easily from the skin and can be eaten directly from the shell once cooked. (Eating the skin is a personal preference but it is edible, just be sure to wash and scrub well). You will always want to start by halving the squash through the stem to remove the seeds and stringy bits and using a sharp chef’s knife and a stable work surface to do so....

After you have your cut of choice, you only need a few ingredients to cook steak. While you can always add steak sauces, rubs, and wet or dry brine, this is your guide for a basic steak. (And if you’re ready to take things up a notch, you can always use a cast-iron skillet to make a pan-seared steak at home.) How to Cook Steak Take the steak out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature....

Cutting fresh pineapple yourself is so easy, in fact, you may soon find myriad reasons to make your favorite fresh pineapple recipes, from Pineapple Caramel for ice cream to Maple Glazed Salmon with Pineapple. If you’re a fan of smoothies, you can save money by buying fresh pineapple, cutting it up, and then freezing it for your fruity beverage. Fresh pineapple, once cut, will last in your refrigerator for about 5 days, and one large fruit will make about 8 cups of chopped pieces....

While you may be familiar with the benefit of letting a steak rest after it has finished cooking (it keeps the juices locked in), there’s also a perk to taking the meat out of the refrigerator to rest before cooking. By letting the meat begin to come to room temperature for at least 15 minutes, the muscle fibers will begin to relax, resulting in a much more tender product. Otherwise, placing a very cold piece of meat directly on a hot grill or skillet will cause the muscles to toughen up and result in a tougher bite....

But not much is worse than sitting outside in the fresh air on a hot summer day and smelling your garbage cans in the distance. It’s not like you can remove the bags (and thus the odor). Is there anything that can mask that offensive smell until garbage day? Fortunately, the solution is simple. Find out how to keep outdoor garbage cans from smelling by using items you may already have in your pantry....

If you love the look of braids but consider yourself braid-challenged, let me introduce you to the foolproof bubble braid. These easy-to-achieve plaits consist of fluffed-out sections of hair divided by hair ties. Unlike other pigtails, this is an Insta-worthy hairstyle you don’t need a pro to perfect. Why? The name itself is a bit of a misnomer. “Bubble braids are essentially a modern and playful update to standard ponytails, so it’s way easier to achieve than a traditional braid,” says Miko Branch, hairstylist and CEO of Miss Jessie’s....

Reader question: “How do you hydrate hair that has been bleached, colored, and recolored? My scalp is dry too!” —@calliugraphic For the longest time, I thought that having healthy bleached hair was an impossible oxymoron. While I did opt for the occasional coloring session, I stressed that my stylist never touch bleach. Unfortunately, that also meant that the lightest shade I could ever achieve was dark caramel. Eventually, my dreams of going blonde grew too strong, and I caved....

You might shake off these experiences and attribute them to personality differences, someone having a bad day, or something other than bullying entirely. But according to a 2017 survey by the American Osteopathic Association, adults are being bullied nearly as often as adolescents. Of those surveyed, 31% of Americans admitted to experiencing “repeated, negative behavior intended to harm or intimidate,” with 43% saying the behavior has intensified during the last year....

And the two are similar, crucially, in the hot comfort they bring. Making panelle is rewarding. It is easily worth the small effort. The resulting fries—shaped not like fingers, but flat moons or half-moons—make for a great opener, snack, or side dish, much like potato fries. In the old country, people even slide them onto buns, making for a soft sandwich. Like many Mediterranean foods, the beauty of panelle lies in simplicity....

What You Need Dry ingredients (such as flour or salt)Spoon Measuring cup and spoonKnife Follow These Steps

Reader question: What are the best ways to prevent wrinkles and dark circles under the eyes? —@mktesta85 They say your undereyes are the first place to show signs of aging, yet so many of us neglect that area in our skincare routine. So it’s a very good thing that you’re already getting a head start—preventative skincare is the best approach to anti-aging. While having lines under your eyes is a normal, completely natural part of getting older, you can take steps to minimize them by incorporating anti-wrinkle eye creams into your skincare routine and by practicing preventive lifestyle methods....

Addressing the historical inequities faced by people who identify as Native Americans or Alaskan Natives requires institutional change, but there are still ways in which non-Native individuals can get educated—enough to become vocal allies and to directly support initiatives that improve the lives of Indigenous peoples today. Here are five ways you can put your money—and your time—into Native and Indigenous communities this year. Tune in to Wes Studi’s educational video series with the Partnership for Native Americans....

Whether you’re lamenting the lack of reading time in your life or you simply want to read more books, you’re not alone. According to time management expert Julie Morgenstern, author of Time Management From the Inside Out, the new normal has meant a loss of reading time. “For a lot of people, their commute was their reading time, and they’ve lost that,” she says. So, in order to read more, people need to build new habits around reading to make sure it happens....

Why Flutes, Anyway? Speaking of bubbles, carbonation is the reason we serve Champagne in flutes. The thin, elongated profile of a Champagne flute is designed to showcase the effervescence, and there’s no denying that flutes are aesthetically pleasing. But wine professionals, sommeliers, and sparkling wine producers agree that the narrow design of a flute “mutes” the aroma, flavor, and complexity of your bubbly. While swirling your glass before you sip helps you smell and experience the wine’s unique characteristics, flutes tend to be thin and top-heavy–so swirling isn’t really an option....

RELATED: 5 Genius (and Super-Easy) Ways You Can Avoid Food Waste You may want to ask your butcher to: Bone (remove the bones) Spatchcock (method of cutting whole poultry to flatten it completely for quicker and more even cooking) Butterfly (cut your thicker meat into a thinner portion leaving a hinge much like a book) Truss (tie meat or poultry into a more compact shape) Cube (pound with a meat tenderizer) Trim (remove excess fat)...

Walking through The Container Store sparks feelings of excitement because there’s so much potential sitting on each shelf. But if you don’t know how to utilize these products in your own space, it’s easy to feel confused. So to get you started, below are my must-haves that can work in various areas of a home. Go-To Container Store Organizing Products iDesign Linus Bin, From $15 iDesign Linus Deep Drawer Bin, From $20 Bamboo Lazy Susan, From $19 Water Hyacinth Storage Cube, From $13 Black Bin Clip Labels, From $11 Bisgo Linen Marten Office Storage Boxes, From $14 Black Premium Non-slip Velvet Hangers, Case of 40, $35 Clear Storage Boxes, From $3...

How to Store Pumpkin Pie: Homemade or Store-Bought Your local supermarket is stocked with a ton of pumpkin pies this time of year, and you may have noticed them lined up on tables, rather than sitting in the fridge or freezer sections. That’s because store-bought pumpkin pie has preservatives. If you buy pumpkin pie that’s been sitting out, you can continue to store it on your kitchen counter until the sell-by date, and generally a few days past that....

In one small study, researchers at Florida State University had 51 student participants wash dishes. No, this wasn’t just a way to get the kids to do some housework, but rather a way to understand how mindfulness affects everyday tasks. Half of the participants were asked to wash the dishes after reading a short descriptive dishwashing passage. The other half were asked to perform the task after reading a passage on mindfulness....

What You Need Pastry bag with tip Melted chocolate or icing Frosted cake Toothpick Follow These Steps